Adamantine
by chinarai
Summary: But are Humanity's Strongest Soldiers as strong and cold as they seem? VIII: Office!AU: Confessions: They come and go, get together only to break apart, and Levi never thought he would need her to make up her mind before he went crazy.
1. I: Thank You

Says the legend that if one wants to write better, then they should write a lot and at least once every day. So here I am, writing a lot and every day, and hoping it will work hah. (It's curious because things sound a lot better when I write in present tense instead of past tense; figures).

I requested some prompts a few days ago and I got two; one of them is:

_Anonymous asked: How about Levi grieving over Petra and Mikasa trying to comfort him because he saved her and Eren's lives? if that interests you?_

Well, everything concerning Levi and Mikasa interest me haha, so here it is! Not very romantic because I wanted to keep them in character, but I think it all flowed well.

Don't be afraid to send more prompts, _chinarai_ is my tumblr and the askbox is always open for requests!

Enjoy! Reviews are appreciated xx

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**Adamantine**

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**adamantine; origin: English**

**(n.) something unbreakable; a legendary metal that was impenetrable**

**(adj.) unbreakable**

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**I. Thank you**

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She shouldn't be there, she thinks. Eren is safe, despite the fever, and Armin is unharmed and watching over him with Jean's help back in his room. That's all she wanted, her dear friends safe and away from harm's way, and that's what she got.

So she repeats in her mind, _you shouldn't be here_, but she already knocked on the door and he already called her inside, and he's been waiting for her to enter for some time now, but she can't bring herself to turn the doorknob, and so her grip around it only tightens and she exhales. _What are you doing_, she thinks, her arm is now shaking and she grits her teeth; why should she try to comfort the one who she deems as heartless, the one who beat Eren up in the courtroom a while ago?

The door opens, the metal knob slips from her fingers and he is standing on the other side, glaring up at her and silently demanding an explanation. She swallows as her hand falls back to her side, and meets his heated gaze with a blank one. "Can I come inside?" He whirls around and stalks back to his desk, leaving the way open for her and the unsaid words _I already told you to enter long ago, brat_ hang in the air behind him.

There's tea in a porcelain cup on the tabletop, soft wafts of steam rising and dissipating, his paperwork is piled neatly in a corner, and two twin pens are lined beside it. Everything seems normal and tidy, but there are crumpled up papers resting by the chair legs, a dark blue stain of ink on his right sleeve and an unfinished letter that he snatches away from sight the moment her dark eyes fall on it, and it falls to the unpolished floor not too long after in the form of an uneven ball.

She inhales deeply and finds out that he's not drinking tea; it's coffee, black and strong and so unlike him.

He picks his cup and turns his chair around, and stares out the window and leaves her there sitting across the desk to stare at his back. The dark circles under his eyes are prominent and his hand trembles ever so slightly; she decides to believe it is because of the caffeine rush, not for the weight of losing an entire team, because she can't imagine him being weak. But the truth is out for those who want to see it, and for those who doesn't, and although he conceals it so well, one can see past his façade if they try hard enough.

It isn't hard for her, because they are so alike, as much as she hates to admit it. They're called the strongest soldiers, he's humanity's strongest for longer than her, yet he couldn't protect his team. He says they knew the risks, and they knew it, everyone knows you can die at any moment, doesn't matter if you joined the Scouting Legion or not; but he knows that it doesn't matter how strong you are, at some point you're bound to feel fear, and he can't help but feel like that was the last thing they felt before they fell into death's cold grip.

His glare wasn't as strong as it used to be the moment he opened the door and saw her there. In his grey irises she saw that he deems himself responsible and believes he himself sent them to their early grave, and the sight of it made an odd sense of uneasiness settle in her stomach. He shouldn't be displaying it; not in front of her, not in front of anyone else.

"Corporal," her voice breaks the silence, and his cup halts an inch away from his parted lips. He sips his drink and waits for her words, that he may or may not like, and she considers saying that she's sorry, but she knows he doesn't want anyone's pity, because they are so alike. So she decides to soften her voice just enough so she won't sound too cold nor too pitiful, for she doesn't feel an ounce of pity for a man like him, but it concerns her to see someone who's said to be her equal in such a state, because he's got a heart after all. "Thank you."

The chair skids backwards as she stands, and she walks around the desk to take the violently shaking cup from his hand. Hers settles on his shoulder and gives it a firm squeeze, and he doesn't look up at her as he places his own above hers and lets it rest there. Mikasa stands between him and the early morning light, draping him under a penumbra and remains there until his tired eyes closes, and he finally succumbs to sleep.


	2. Casual Affair: I: Devil Of A Boss

Aaaand I present you the second prompt:

_hatsunecherry answered: me!me!me! What about Boss!Levi x Mikasa? Office AU_

I really liked this prompt and the AU setting; might as well write a sequel or two /winkwonk

Send your prompts to _chinarai _ tumblr!

Enjoy! Reviews are appreciated! xx

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**II. Devil Of A Boss**

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"I don't get paid enough for this," she mutters darkly under her breath as the wind whips wildly about her and throws her shoulder length hair in a disarray state. Up a small set of stairs Mikasa goes, her umbrella nearly flies away from her grasp but the automatic doors open and she hurriedly enters the hall, secure walls keeping the cold wind outside and away from her slightly shivering form. The security guard by the entrance takes the umbrella from her hand and rolls the dark material around its metal shaft for her, seeing as one hand is occupied with a paper cup from the local coffee shop and the other is trying so hard to comb her hair back down into place.

After voicing her thanks and taking the umbrella back, she goes as fast towards the elevator as the slippery soles of her shoes let her, short heels clicking on the cold floor and mingling with the low volume of the television in the waiting area. She leaves a trail of wet footprints in her wake, it's so hard to remain dry and warm when there's a storm raging outside, but her damned boss asked for coffee and she had to be the one to go get it. Yes, she was his adjutant, yes, he was the second most important man of that corporation, but that still didn't give him the right to treat her as a maid.

The elevator ride is peaceful as she goes up a couple of floors in the company of a sand-haired man and his freckled workmate. She remembers them from the days before she got promoted, from that one time when everything was fine and she didn't get to work with that spawn of the devil – no, scratch that – the devil himself. They keep a conversation going; they crack jokes and even manage to make her smile a little, and all is good as her muscles slowly relax and the elevator slows to a stop on the fifth floor.

A bell rings and the doors slide open, only to stop two thirds of the way when thunder cracks outside and the entire block is engulfed by darkness. Her breath catches in her throat, her wide dark eyes glance around and try to adjust to the sudden blackness that took over her vision, then there's a small square of light coming from her left, and she looks at it as if it's an otherworldly being. "My battery is about to die," Jean says with a slight shake of his head and turns the visor of his cell phone towards the gap between the metal doors to light the way.

One hand rests on the small of her back and gently pushes forward. "You go first," Marco instructs, and she nods, sucking in her breath and her stomach as she squeezes her way through the opening.

They follow her out soon after. Jean guides the way through the hallway until they come across the door to the stairs, and Mikasa stops before it, hand already twisting the doorknob. "Take it with you," he offers her the smartphone, and she only stares at it uneasily. "It will help you for a while longer. We're already on our floor, anyways." The girl nods her head and takes it from his palm with a thanks, and they wait until the door closes behind her back to find their way through the dark.

"I absolutely," she grits her teeth when her feet miss another step, "don't get paid enough for this." She had already gone up five sets of stairs; two and half floors in total, and there were six and a half more to go. Mikasa had to lower the brightness of the screen and put the phone in airplane mode if she wanted the battery to last for a few more minutes, but it was already at three percent and there still was a long way to go.

Then the time comes when the screen goes black and she is left alone in the dark. The storm still rages outside as she stares blankly at the wall, palm pressed against the surface, and she breathes in deeply through her nose. The handrail is cool to the touch and guides her in the dark, her pace much slower than before, and her feet scream to be released from the confines of her shoes. She complies, takes the leather articles off and tucks them under her arm so she can still hold onto the metal and go up and up.

Lightning brightens up the sky and light seeps into the place, paints a clear square across the tiles and she uses the fleeting moment she is being given to see in which floor she is. Twelfth. Only two more.

She rests her forehead on the final barrier standing between her and the hallway that leads to his office, right hand trembling and fumbling with the knob, but the door doesn't budge. A short cry of exasperation leaves her lips and she moves away, places the paper cup, her shoes and Jean's cell phone on the floor, discards her thin blazer and simply throws it close to the other items, then turns to face the door. Her toes are unbelievably cold and her soles hurt, but they're about to get worse as she hitches up her dark blue pencil skirt and kicks her right foot out at the door.

It bursts open after her fifth try. She gathers her things and makes her way to her destination, acting as if her hair isn't slightly disheveled and her clothes aren't wrinkled and her skirt is too far up around her legs. There's a brand new thick stack of papers on her desk waiting to be delivered to him, and she places it in the crook of her elbow before entering his room, feeling her heart beating in her throat.

She sees his silhouette in the darkness, sitting poised in his leather chair and staring unseeingly at the blank screen of his monitor. Fingers entwined together and hands pressed to his lips, his grey eyes flicker over to her when she approaches his desk, and he merely casts a glance at the paperwork that is placed by the circular pen holder to his right.

Levi tugs on his jacket draped over the back of his chair as Mikasa walks around his table, his hand finds her legs in the dark, callused and warm palms coming to rest on the cool skin of her thigh, and his arm hooks around her hips and tugs her to his lap. She shivers and curls into him for warmth, and her devil of a boss places his jacket over her shoulders, previously protected only by a thin layer of clothing.

She passes him the paper cup; he sips his drink as if it had never gone cold and even hums in appreciation. "Good god, Mikasa," he says into the dark, arm tightening around her form when her cold nose buries itself in the crook of his neck; "I love you for this."

Outside the storm rages on, and she smiles against the skin of his throat. Maybe she does get paid enough for this.


	3. The Baby: I: Silence

I woke up this morning to find a prompt in my askbox, and that made me extremelly happy of course! But before I can write it, I need to watch something first so I know exactly what I'm writing about.

This one is just an idea I had earlier today; written in past tense, and maybe that's why I'm hesitant to post it.

But anyways, _chinarai_ is my tumblr so go there and send me all of your prompts and ideas!

Enjoy! xx

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**III. Silence**

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The news had reached him through a very agitated and much disoriented Moblit, who had all but burst into the meeting room without a single knock on the door. Levi was glad at the interruption, for he now could stretch his arms, but also slightly annoyed that the man felt the need to be so loud and so dramatic. The corporal thought nothing of it, though, and beside him Hange was already gently chiding him for interrupting the meeting in such a rude way until she realized her assistant's wide brown eyes weren't focused on her, but on the shorter figure to her right instead.

Levi met his gaze with a rather bored one, a single dark eyebrow slightly arched up, and it wasn't until the man started talking that it dawned on him that Moblit was the one responsible for instructing his team as they trained. He shot up from his seat, the assistant took a reflexive step back and finished delivering the report, and the room went still as his last words hung in the air.

"She fainted during the training, mid-air. No one knows what happened."

The meeting was put on-hold, and Levi was followed to the infirmary wing by his two friends and the assistant. He wasn't surprised to see the rest of the team waiting outside her door, minus Eren and Armin of course, who were obviously inside by her bedside. Sasha was close to hyperventilating, but had her other teammates helping her breathe properly. "Springer." The shorter guy turned towards their leader and hurriedly approached him, giving the older man a clumsy salute with his left hand. Levi decided to say nothing of it, for now. "What the hell happened out there?"

Sasha's breath hitched and she nearly choked on air, and soon she was lead away by the blonde girl of the group, Connie watching after them worriedly. He was brought back to the present when his superior cleared his throat, and quickly blurted out, "We don't really know, Corporal."

Jean piped in when he realized his friend wouldn't say much else. "She seemed fine, went through the warm up without any difficulty, then halfway through training she went limp and flew straight into Historia."

"She called for me when she realized Mikasa was unconscious." Moblit explained, voice still shaky. "She's so lucky Historia was there." Indeed, she was. Flying at top speed among branches and very high in the air too; had the blonde not been there, Mikasa would have certainly been seriously injured, and could have even fallen to her death.

With a nod, Levi ordered the boys to help Sasha, and Hange shooed Moblit away after reassuring the guy that the corporal wouldn't ask for his head for what happened; the assistant seemed beyond relieved and only scurried away after requesting that he knew of the girl's condition as soon as the medics were done examining her. The three higher ups, now left alone in the chilly hallway, turned to face the door of the infirmary room, and the commander pushed it open after the other man made no effort to do so himself.

The sight that met them was less than appealing. Mikasa was hunched over the side of her bed as she emptied her stomach's content, Armin holding back the longer strands of her dark hair and Eren holding a metal bucket in his hands. Her hands gripped the sheets tightly and sweat dribbled down her temples and rosy cheeks, and she spat out one last time before collapsing on her side. The green eyed titan shifter put the bucket as far away as possible as his friend turned the girl to lie on her back, then gently tucked her in and brushed away her damp fringe from her forehead.

Hange and Erwin approached the bed, leaving a frowning Levi by the door. "What did they say?" The older woman asked after noticing the girl's unfocused eyes and much paler skin.

"Mild fever and this is the third time she vomited." Armin dabbed a wet handkerchief on her parted and slightly chapped lips, then pressed two fingers to the pulse on her neck. "They took a sample of her blood; said the results would be out soon."

Levi dragged his gaze away from Mikasa's emotionless face and focused on the blonde boy instead. How they had grown; it seemed like two days ago they were only fifteen, and now this boy was mastering the arts of medicine and had become an official strategist just two years ago, and the trio carried the weight of living for twenty three years in this cursed world. His eyes shifted to Eren, who stood still and felt powerless in this situation, much like he felt. Levi didn't blame him; they weren't born to heal other humans, only to slay titans and hope they didn't get killed or devoured while doing so. And sure, seeing the strongest one of the 104th Squad, as well as his adoptive sister, bedridden for an unknown cause made him feel utterly and completely lost.

Mikasa blinked and her eyes seemed to be in focus again. She looked at the faces around her bed and then around the room, found Levi standing there and held eye contact until Eren called for her, and she turned towards his voice like she always had. "I'm okay," she assured him with a weak smile. "Help me up."

"Just be quiet, Ackerman!" The titan shifter halted, one hand holding hers and whilst the other pressed against the space between her shoulder blades, and curious eyes turned to the corporal as he finally approached the bed with a furious glare. _Damn brat_, grey met grey until one of them averted away, _always trying to look strong._

In an uncharacteristic gesture, she lowered her head and allowed her shoulders to drop, instead of glaring at him like they had expected. Armin sucked in a breath between his teeth; she was too tired to even argue with the man.

Eren squeezed her shoulder comfortingly and moved away when the medic entered the room wearing a frown on his lightly wrinkled face. "Doctor?" Erwin inquired as the man rubbed the bridge of his nose, and soon he let out a sigh.

"There's no easier way to say it," his hand sneaked inside the pocket of his lab coat and retrieved a folded paper sheet. "She's pregnant."

For the second time that day, the room went still.

Armin and Hange were the first to unfreeze. The latter took the paper and inspected it with the blonde, one pretending to be reading, the other barely keeping his composure in check. Erwin urged the medic to keep speaking and explaining, to fill the room with something that wasn't tension. "Around four months, we believe. She's fine and the baby is safe." Mikasa didn't dare look up from the thin sheets to meet an incredulous green eyed gaze. "She could have lost it. It's a miracle that she didn't already, actually, given the circumstances."

Eren ran a trembling hand through his hair and turned away from her, even more at a loss of what to say or do than he was before. It was completely unexpected, never had he thought she would have children of her own, it was hard to even imagine her settling down. Erwin patted him on the back as he made his way to a stool across the room, then turned to the doctor and spoke to him in a hushed tone. Levi remained by her bedside, back turned to them and eyes boring into the back of her lowered head.

Hange found her voice somewhere in her throat and spoke softly, "Did you know about it, Mikasa?"

The soldier remained silent, and knowing her it could only mean _yes_.

The scientist inhaled through her nose and let the young man beside her speak next. "Were you planning on telling us?"

_No_, her silence said; she had never dreamed of telling them until the last minute or until she could no longer hide it.

It was Eren's turn to ask, and he did so, elbows on his knees and deeply hunched forward, forcing air into his lungs and already trying to find ways to help her through it. "Do you know who the father is?"

No one could decipher the silence she gave them as answer, and they never saw how Levi's fingers entwined with hers.


	4. The Baby: II: Assurances

Here I am again, and hoping I'll update this daily haha

_JanieZ: OMG you need to continue this one, please! I'd really like a scene with only Levi and Mikasa, either before or after the reveal. Pretty please with cherry on top? *inserts pouty face here*_

So, as requested, here's a sequel to the third chapter, _Silence._ I think this one is kinda fluffly, actually, and it makes _me_ feel all giddy and stuff and yeeeaaaah I hope you like it, girl!

I'll work on the other prompt I got after I watch the movie, but in the mean time, feel free to send me your prompts to _chinarai_ tumblr, or even comment/review with a request!

(also, please, have in mind that any mistakes will be corrected later today)

Enjoy! xx

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**IV. Assurances**

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It was late into the night when he left his room to visit her, and Levi would have felt like a foolish teenage in love sneaking out at night had he known what it was like to be said character. She was awake and waiting for him, back resting on the headboard of her bed and one thick comforter covering her legs, the small flames of the candles flickering and twisting the shadows. They had moved her to a more comfortable chamber, one that was conveniently closer to his, not that they knew he frequently checked on her before they even found out about her condition, and he could feel they wouldn't know so soon that he was responsible for it either.

Two months had passed since the accident in the training grounds. Her stomach was much swollen and bigger than before, and it wasn't that hard to convince Mikasa that she should stay away from her maneuver gear; in fact, she seemed more than willing to spend some time away so the baby could grow and form correctly, one could come to such conclusion the moment she delivered her uniform to Erwin and went about on regular civilian clothes, helping as much as she could and as much as they let her.

Eren and Armin, the former especially, hung around her like overprotective lionesses would to their cubs, helping her sit and stand and hurrying to her side whenever she wore an expression that was a sign of discomfort. Sasha and Historia were exceptionally useful throughout the day, helping her when the boys couldn't, and keeping her company when they fussed and Eren voiced his endless list of concerns. Mikasa would only smile at him and try to calm his nerves, but he was as nervous as he was excited, and had already made her promise he and Armin would be there by her side when the time came.

Overjoyed; that was the only word Levi could think of to describe how both boys felt. They were going to be uncles, or so the titan shifter said, and they along with the rest of the male part of the squad were already making a list of all the things they would teach the baby so it could grow strong and join the Scouting Legion when it was of age. Kirstein was still somewhat hesitant, for reasons Levi really didn't want to think about, but had embraced the cause and joined his teammates in their own _Help Mikasa _squad.

"I think," she hummed at the sound of his low voice, tilting her head in his direction but still not opening her eyes. The corner of his lips twitched when he glanced up at her, then his gaze travelled down to his hand resting on top of her stomach.

"Yes?" She squirmed slightly when his callused palm stroked her skin, legs moving under the comforter.

Levi threw one leg over hers so they would stop moving. "I think I can feel it."

Her eyelashes fluttered and he now could see her grey irises glinting under the dim light of the candles, little flames reflecting in their dark depths. "I can feel it too," she murmured, pressing one palm close to his and smiling slightly. "It seems happy."

He nodded his head, eyes fixed on their hands again and thumb lightly tracing one small scar by her bellybutton. "It does."

The baby was moving a lot that night, trying to get comfortable inside the mother's stretched uterus, and Mikasa softly smiled at the man lying by her side, watching his face intently. "It's happy that you're here."

Grey eyes flickered up at her, then down again. "Seems like it." She let out a short, breathy laughter and playfully swatted his hand away, but it found its way back to her stomach soon after.

It was weird, Levi thought as he traced patterns on her swollen belly, that he felt as excited and nervous as both Armin and Eren did, though he could hide it way better than they hoped they ever could. He was almost scared of it, because he wasn't born to heal someone, only to try to protect, and somehow he managed to _create_ a life. Her adoptive brother had confided to him his worries and thoughts once, and the one Levi couldn't picture having kids was his own person, not Mikasa, and in the end there they were: humanity's strongest soldiers had a baby on the way, and the mere thought of it set alarms off in his head.

Mikasa, as if reading his thoughts and feeling his body gradually tensing, placed her hand over his fist and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Levi," he held his breath and uncurled his fingers slowly, warm palm resting on her equally warm skin, "you're gonna do fine."

But would he, really? They had yet to think of how they would break the news to everyone, and let they all know that her superior was the father of her child. He didn't know how they would react; of all the people who mattered most, he was sure that Historia and Armin would be the ones who would take it all in quietly, and Hange would be the loudest of all, if Eren did not beat her to it, that is. The rest was unpredictable.

He had never really cared about other people's opinions on him, but now it seemed the corporal couldn't stop worrying about it. They had to tell them, they needed to. He wanted to be there to raise the baby, wanted it to know he was the father and not have to hide the truth and keep his distance as it grew up under the care of its mother, two uncles and a bunch of soldiers. Levi didn't want to shower it with kisses and read bedtime stories, but he would take responsibility for the things he did, not only because it was right, but mostly because he loved the young woman carrying the kid, and good god, he already loved it.

Just one of the things he never imagined would happen; never had he thought he would care so deeply for someone.

"Have I ever told you...?" He trailed off, not knowing how to approach the subject, but Mikasa was patting his hand and shaking her head slightly.

"You don't need to," he locked his gaze with hers, and there was a smile on her lips again. "I don't need to hear it. I already know."

Levi nodded his head numbly and suddenly shot up to a sitting position, pressing his palm down harder on her stomach. The woman's smile only widened as she studied his stunned expression through half lidded eyes, watching his brows draw down and his lips part as his breath hitched. "It..."

She gave a nod, lacing her fingers together and resting her hands above her ribcage, eyes slipping closed. "It kicked," Mikasa confirmed, and the man let out a puff of breath. "Talk to it." He looked at her oddly, and for a moment she believe he was really going to when Levi started to lower his head, but he only pressed his ear against her belly and inhaled deeply through his nose.

Lean fingers lazily played with the dark strands of his hair, and he pressed the back of her other hand against his lips. "Mikasa," he whispered after a while, breaking the silence.

"Yes, Levi?" Her voice was much softer now; he realized she must be feeling awfully tired, and felt guilty for keeping her awake for so long, but if anything the motions of her fingers were making him feel drowsy as well.

He blinked his eyes rapidly to remain awake and murmured, "I wanna be there."

A smile stretched on her lips, and she understood all the hidden meanings. "You will be."

Mikasa felt the corner of his mouth curling up against her skin.


	5. The Baby: III: Truth

I've got a few lovely people (_JanieZ, Kittens Hellfire, _and one _guest_)asking for a sequel to _Silence_ and _Assurances_, so here it is!

Reply to a guest: I was thinking of turning this series into its own story, but I only had things planned up until this chapter. One of the reasons why I'm not separating it from this drabbles collection is because I don't really know how long this one will last, but there will be certainly more to come; the precise number, though, is a mystery even to me haha. A while ago I saw a few people who published several short stories like this, "multi chapter" fics and one-shots together under one name, so I'll be doing the same! Before the chapter's title I'll include the name of the series. So, so far we have (in chronological order):

**Office!AU:** _Devil Of A Boss_

**The Baby:** _Silence, Assurances, Truth_

(please, don't mind the ridiculous names lmao)

All messages and reviews sent this weekend will be answered some time this week!

Enjoy! xx

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**V. Truth**

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Erwin regarded her in silence, face completely void of any emotion and chin propped up in his joined hands. Mikasa sat across from him, the mid morning light bright against her face and shadowing his form slightly, dark eyes meeting his even stare with a cool gaze of her own. The ticking coming from the clock to her left was the only sound besides their breathing, and she felt like she could choke at any moment due to her wild heartbeat she felt in the front of her throat.

He seemed like the right person to open up to, she concluded just a few days before; their commander would listen to her and would, hopefully, understand the fragile situation they were in, maybe would even help them come up with a way to break the news to the other members of Squad Levi. But now she wasn't so sure anymore. Erwin had listened to her story in absolute silence, hadn't asked anything nor did any emotion flicker in his blue eyes. Mikasa wouldn't have felt bothered by it under normal conditions, but all the side effects of her pregnancy were weighing her down; her back hurt greatly and she was absolutely tired, and she should have remained in bed that day, but had decided to talk to him before it was too late.

The commander leaned back and lowered his hands to the tabletop, finally glancing away for the first time in minutes. "This is a surprise." The woman across from him slowly released a breath she was holding and unclenched her fists on her lap. "I admit I'd have liked it better if both of you had trusted me and told me about it before, though."

She pressed her lips together; she wouldn't let herself be guilty tripped by this man in a moment like this. "I'm trusting you now," her fingers curled around the arms of the chair and she shifted to a more comfortable position, "without Levi's knowledge."

His thick eyebrows rose up slightly, genuinely surprised by her sudden confession. So this decision was hers and hers alone, she was taking all the risks and would face his judgment like the brave soldier she was, would shoulder the weight of her choices without the help of the unborn child's father. Erwin rearranged his pen lying by a finished stack of paperwork; truly admirable, he admitted, an almost content smile touching his lips. He could feel her wary gaze focused on his shoulder, knew she wouldn't face him while the gears turned in his head.

"Very well." Her muscles relaxed at his words, and they both turned to face each other. "I understand why you were hesitant. It's a complicated situation that you two are in, but I'll help as much as I can."

Mikasa bowed her head slightly, fingers wrapped tightly around the chair as she pushed herself up on her feet. "Thank you, sir." Her palms were flat against the tabletop whilst she straightened her back, muscles screaming in pain as she tried to balance the extra weight she had been carrying for nine months now. "It means a lot for us – the three of us."

Erwin nodded his head after she gave a slow salute and turned to his drawers to retrieve a brand new pile of reports, half aware of the door opening as the woman made her way outside. He was somewhat relieved to know that Levi was the father, someone they could trust, not a faceless, nameless soldier that wasn't close to the group. Now he could also discard the possibility that she had been forced to do anything; he knew Mikasa was one of the prideful type, and if she had been abused in any way she would never tell anyone.

Now he had to find a way to help them. He understood their worries; how to tell her childhood friends that their squad leader was the one who got her pregnant? But the duo seemed to have forgotten that Armin was very understanding, and Eren admired and respected the corporal; they would accept it, immediately or on the long run. The rest, though, he agreed with her that they couldn't predict any possible reactions.

"Mikasa...?" The man snapped out of his reverie, papers halfway out of the drawer, and glanced up at the door to see Armin facing the pregnant woman, who had a hand latched around his wrist in a painful grip and one shoulder leaned against the doorframe of the office. The strategist let the maps fall from his hands as he moved closer to her, cupping one palm around her elbow to better support her, voice already laced with panic. "Mikasa, are you okay?"

He shot up from his seat and walked across the room, the faint _drip drip_ sound of drops falling on paper getting louder as he approached the young soldiers, and it didn't escape his eyes the round water beads that slid down her ankles. "Her water broke," he said in a surprisingly calm tone, one strong and firm hand rested on her forearm to better support her back, and Armin forgot how to breathe for a while. Erwin swallowed, hooked one arm under her knees and lifted her off the ground. "Tell someone to get Levi!"

Armin whirled around and darted down the hallway, nearly tripping on his own feet as he searched for anyone that could be sent after his superior, but surely, Erwin meant to say Eren instead of Levi, right?

* * *

The corporal entered the same damned infirmary room three steps ahead of the titan shifter, swiftly walking past the commander that stayed by the door and heading towards the woman lying on the bed, surrounded by a medic and two nurses, with a loyal Armin to her right holding her hand and bearing the pain of her grip. Her eyes lit up at the sight of his approaching form, but were quickly hidden under her eyelids as her muscles contracted and she grit her teeth to hold in a gasp.

Levi didn't have the luxury of holding her other hand throughout the birth process; Eren had held it, and the older man had to content himself with supporting her by the shoulders whenever she pushed and forced the baby out of her, and also wiped away the sweat from her flushed face. She panted and let out short, small cries – such a weird sight to see her like that, the one who could take a sword to the stomach and still stand was currently writhing in pain right before his eyes – and her brother to her left, more agitated than Levi had ever seen, tried to calm her down, but at the same time snapped at the medic that he _do something to spare her of this!_

At times he swore he could see her mouthing his name, other times her eyes tried to find his, but there was never much time for eye contact between one contraction and the other. He also felt out of place; he couldn't hold her hands, she couldn't face him, and he wanted to be the one cursing at the doctor. He wanted to brush her damp hair away from her face, but also didn't, he wanted to say words of encouragement but something was holding them back. Levi had always known he would be a terrible lover, and now he was going to become a terrible father.

Mikasa arched away from the bed, letting out one of the most painful sounds ever since the labor began. Both boys cringed and winced at her vice-like grip on their hands, one shrill cry joined hers soon after, and the woman choked on air and fell limp against the mattress as she took in large gulps of air. Two pairs of grey eyes watched the doctor as he held the bloodied body of their baby in his hands, and the man moved to the far side of the room to get the child cleaned.

Her mouth was still agape when Eren turned to her, one bright grin on his face. "You did it, Mikasa!" She tried so hard to smile back at him as she finally released their hands, but her eyes were still searching for the father, and so Levi stepped into her line of vision. He held her gaze steadily, his was impassive and hers was spent, but that's how it had to be for now.

Armin was gentle as he helped her sit up and placed one glass of water to her lips, and she greedily drank it all. "You should rest now." Then he turned to the boy across from him, "Come on, Eren."

"What?" He protested almost angrily. "No way, I want to see the baby first!"

"Eren." The blond glanced at their squad leader, but he was too busy staring at the space between his hand and Mikasa's. It didn't take Armin too long to understand what was going on; Erwin hadn't messed up the names, he had intended to say Levi from the start, and his presence in the room only strengthened the boy's suspicions that this man could be the father. "Let's go." He left no room for arguments as he turned away from the bed and marched for the door, leaving his friend no other option besides follow him outside whilst muttering curses under his breath.

Levi tried to say something, but soon they were joined by the medic, one small blue bundle in his arms. "It's a healthy boy. Congratulations," he said with a smile, passing the baby to Mikasa's already waiting arms, then parted without another word to the duo.

The corporal sat on the edge of the bed, leaning forward to take a glimpse of his son's face. Pale skin, flushed chubby cheeks, small round nose, and a tuff of black hair decorated the top of his head; it was impossible to say who he resembled most, and he wondered if his eyes were light like his own or dark like hers.

"Did you pick a name?" He rasped out, watching as she stroked one fingertip on the baby's soft skin.

Mikasa nodded tiredly, "Caleb." Then she glanced up at him, irises much brighter than usual, a tired smile on her lips. "Do you like it?" He, too, nodded, and she shifted slightly as she turned to him. "Do you want to hold him?"

He gazed down at the baby, unsure if that was the right thing to do. "What if I hurt him?"

"You won't," she assured softly, balancing the newborn on one arm as she reached for the man and tried to position his arms correctly.

"Mikasa, don't." But she shook her head, her disheveled hair and tired appearance making her seem oddly attractive, and she carefully placed the infant in his arms.

"You'll have to do it, sooner or later." Both parents watched Caleb's tiny fingers flexing, his mouth working as soft sounds escaped past his lips, and his still blissfully closed eyelids. "Talk to him."

Levi furrowed his brow, but directed his gaze back to the baby nonetheless and swallowed before trying. "Oi, Caleb." It sounded like the tone he used to reprimand Eren back then; gruff, dry and short-spoken. Mikasa's shoulders shook as she laughed in silence, and the man clicked his tongue at her actions. "Why the fuck are you laughing?"

"Levi," she tried to sound stern, but her weariness and muffled giggles wouldn't let her. "Watch your mouth."

His tongue clicked against his teeth again, but he was smirking at her and his eyes softened when the baby let out a small coo. "You really should sleep." Mikasa was about to protest, but it was his turn to shake his head and shush her. "I won't leave. I promise."

She seemed satisfied with the answer she got and leaned back onto the soft pillows she was given, exhaling deeply through her nose when he brushed her fringe away from her face, and his lips ghosted over her forehead in a kiss. The baby cooed again in his arms, dark grey irises looking up at him and then moving about the room, catching sight of four figures at the doorstep, watching the whole scene unfold.


	6. Casual Affair: II: Cancelled Plans

I fiiiinally got to work on a sequel to our wonderful office!AU

_yuuutsu-heichou asked: Oh my god! I would love it if you continued the boss!Levi AU, it's adorable!_

I have a few plans for the sequel, but I'd like it if you guys told me what you expect for it, so maybe I can use a few ideas and make something nice for everyone!

Also, please, do tell me other side ships you'd like to see in here, or in other stories to come! I reeeeaally don't know which ones to pick (besides rivamika and springles haha)

**Office!AU:** _Devil Of A Boss, Cancelled Plans_

**The Baby:** _Silence, Assurances, Truth_

Reviews will probably be answered this Saturday when I'm free, but I always read them when I get the e-mail and I cherish every single one!

Enjoy! xx

* * *

**VI: Office!AU: Cancelled Plans**

* * *

The coffee is still heavenly hot when he sips it and was prepared just the way he liked. Though the man would rather have black tea over coffee, the local café doesn't sell it, and if Levi wants to have a productive day at work he will have to abide and accept whatever can be given to him.

His hand moves over the page, his favorite metallic pen held in his fingers, the ballpoint tip strokes the stark white surface and leaves a trail of words written in dark blue ink. His handwriting is one messy scrawl, but he still manages to make it somewhat elegant with the way he angles each letter; however, it has always been, despite the slight sloppiness, legible, but if one doesn't understand it, he won't explain. Let them figure it out, he thinks whenever one person frowns their forehead at the paper; he wasn't hired to decipher his own handwriting to other people.

Mikasa enters his office for the first time that day, more reports to read and documents to sign placed in the crook of her elbow, and she walks the distance to his desk, composed and completely professional.

"Wearing pants for once, Ackerman?" He doesn't lift his head, and she frowns at him before tilting her head down to look at her tailored, navy blue item in question.

Thanks to their early-spring hectic schedule, she hasn't found much time to stop working so she could do her laundry and clean her apartment, the pile of dirty clothes getting bigger and bigger after a couple of days. Mikasa has already run out of pencil skirts, only a few dresses remain clean, and she is glad she has enough dress shirts to survive at least another week. The pants she usually wears on much colder days when thick pantyhose don't provide enough warmth had to be dug out from the back of her closet to replace her skirts.

The adjutant wasn't about to let her boss know of all of that. "I don't want to go through the same scenario from yesterday again."

She shuffles the papers in her hands; Levi puts away one finished document and starts on the next one without missing a beat. "You say it as if it wasn't enjoyable."

Her lips pressed together in one firm line, dark grey eyes glaring holes into the crown of his head. Of course he would bring it up, he always did, and she had completely forgotten he would remember the things they did in the dark, and not the blackout itself. "It was unprofessional of us," Mikasa decides to say finally after swallowing hundreds of attempts and half assed explanations. "It shouldn't happen again."

"It shouldn't," her boss finally looks up then, leaves the golden pen forgotten on the dark tabletop as he leans back into his leather seat, "or it can't?"

Her pink mouth hangs agape for a brief moment, then she seems to come back to her senses and quickly shuts it, lips pressing onto the other again and teeth gritting behind them. Well groomed eyebrows draw down angrily, and she almost, _almost_, scowls at him. Her glare is still at one hundred percent, though. "I'm not gracing you with an answer."

Levi makes a sound in the back of his throat and leans towards his desk when she _delicately_ puts the new pile of paperwork next to the unfinished stack. "I wasn't expecting one in the first place," then he's back to work, words being scribbled down at top speed and name being signed where it is required. "Tell Jaeger to drop by and give me the damn file that was due last year." He can imagine her nodding as she prepares to exit the room. "And Ackerman."

She stops in the middle of the room, "Sir?"

"Get me another cup of coffee."

The woman turns around to take a glimpse at the paper cup on his desk. "It's half full, sir."

He scoffs, puts one document away and reaches for the next one. "Well, it's half empty to me."

Now she does scowl at him, her hands fisting by her sides, she whirls around quickly and stalks back to the door whilst muttering darkly under her breath. "Goddamn son of a..."

"What did you just say?"

"You goddamn son of a bitch," Mikasa repeats aloud, throws him a smirk when he lifts his head to glare at her, then softly clicks the door behind her back as she leaves.

**::**

**::**

She is back again not too long after, and just in time to replace his empty cup of coffee. Mikasa studies the empty paper cup warily, it feels almost weightless in her hand, and wonders if he drank it all quickly just so he could put her under the wrong light. Yes, she concludes, and she should have expected him to do it, for he absolutely loves to get on her nerves, and sometimes she wonders if he's trying to drag her back to hell with him.

The woman is as amusing as she is irritating, and Levi can't decide he likes or hates her, though it's highly unlikely that it's the latter (if that was the case they wouldn't have kissed yesterday, or fucked on his desk, or on last year's party, and so on)but she does tick him off more frequently than she gets on his bright side. And maybe that is the reason why he bosses her around, so he can see that fiery side of hers that is hidden under social clothes, carefully chosen words and piles of paperwork.

They both grew used to each other after the first tense initial weeks of working together, a time when she threatened to end his life and he did what he does just so he could drive her away. It wasn't until later that he found out that her _adorable_ adoptive brother and their childhood friend talked her out of going straight to Erwin's office and demanding that she have her old job back. Levi, of course, gave them more work than one normal human could handle, but they had surprised him, the blonde especially, and presented it all just in time.

Except for that one document Jaeger was supposed to turn in, but didn't.

Levi regards the brand new stack delivered earlier that morning as if it held the answers to all imaginable problems, and smirk as he dots the "I" in his name. Maybe she will have to pay for Jaeger's incompetency. "Ackerman."

Mikasa has her back turned to him, busy with filing away all the signed paperwork, and replies without turning around. "Yes, sir?"

"What do you have scheduled for this Friday night?"

There is silence on her part as she flips through the documents to find the one that belongs in the open drawer. "Eren's birthday party, sir."

He hums absentmindedly and signs another report; yes, just as expected. "Very well," he puts down his golden pen and backs the chair away from the desk so he can stand, paper cup in his left hand and jacket dangling from his right fingers. "Cancel that."

_"What!?"_ She nearly screeches, whirling around and almost dropping the things in her hand, black hair fanning about her head and settling down in a slight messy way.

He takes a sip from his drink, calmly, and cocks his head towards the stack of paper on the desktop. "There's no way we'll finish it all in time." He says it as if she's dense, and her mouth is hanging open again as he approaches her. "My place, this Friday, 8 p.m. I'll cook."

This time he can see her gritted teeth through the gap between her parted lips, her cheeks are flushed red and again she is wearing that scowl that he adores to see. Mikasa unceremoniously throws the documents away and slashes her hand at the air, hitting his paper cup and purposefully sending it flying across the room, leaving a trail of dark liquid in its wake. Then, as he turns his pissed off gaze in her direction, her forehead bumps painfully onto his, their noses are pressed together and he can feel her hot breath fanning over his lips. She pulls away quickly after, upturned hands fly into the air as if she can summon her life force and strike him with it, and one enraged and exasperated cry escapes her mouth, then she speed walks away, the door slamming loudly behind her retreating form.

Levi eyes the forgotten paperwork and the dark stains left on his carpet, and thankfully all documents managed to stay dry and intact. "Oh yes," he says to the air, arms slipping through the sleeves of his jacket, hands working on the buttons and then tugging at the collar. "I am a goddamn son of a bitch indeed." He smirks as he checks his wristwatch and leaves his office knowing that she will be there.


	7. Icarus: I: Found

bloo blah I had this idea earlier tonight while listening to _Icarus_ by _Bastille,_ which is kind of fitting if you think about it haha

This series are loosely inspired by the Greek myth of Icarus, and also by the idea/headcanon that Levi has the Wings of Freedom tattooed on his back.

I'm not very content with this chapter, and it probably is because I don't know how to write intros, and the best prologues are the smaller ones hmmm but I hope it's enjoyable enough; there will be sequels, but I can't promise they'll be posted soon.

So now I need to decide if I'm going to write a new Office!AU chapter or make a sequel for The Baby. In the mean time, I'll be debating if the other idea I had, _Chess Pieces,_ will be posted here or will be made into its own story (I'm leaning towards the latter, and if that truly happens, it will take some time before I post the first chapter).

**Office!AU:** _Devil Of A Boss, Cancelled Plans_

**The Baby:** _Silence, Assurances, Truth_

**Icarus:** _Found_

Thank you for reading, and enjoy! xx

* * *

**VII: Icarus: Found**

* * *

That wasn't the best day for a trip to the beach; the skies were filled with grey clouds that blocked most of the sunlight, the water was cold and the sand felt too rough under the bare soles of their feet, but the trio still ventured out of their home out of boredom, spread a towel on the dull looking sand and kicked off their shoes in order to spend some time together, as if they didn't do it daily already.

Despite the ugly weather, there was no strong wind to bother them as they played, only a gentle, occasional, cool breeze. The orange flying disc zipped left and right, being caught by strong hands only to be thrown again. It cut through the air with the efficiency of a knife, finding no resistance to slide smoothly between the space of two bodies.

The only girl of the group caught the frisbee with one hand, and with a flick of her wrist sent it flying towards the blonde to her left. "I'm going for a walk," her short dark hair was tied with the red hair tie she always carried around, and she started to walk away as soon as the boys nodded in acknowledgement.

"Be careful, Mikasa." The brunet said, green eyes flickering towards her back for a split second before returning to the game.

She walked close to the water, leaving a trail of footprints on the wet sand that were wiped away when the cold waves reached them, and she curled her toes at the unpleasing sensation. Hands were buried in the pocket of her hoodie, her trademark red scarf was wrapped around her neck securely, keeping that area warm whilst her legs were mostly bare to the chilly breeze that swept past at times.

As her fingers played with her cell phone and her eyes watched two or three people that decided to leave their houses for the day as well, she could hear a group of seagulls by the docks, and the insistent bark of a dog reached her ears as it ran after the grey and white birds. Past the dock she went, lips pursed as she pondered and realized that the once boring game she was playing with her friends was much more entertaining than this walk in this deserted, cold place.

The dog followed her, sniffled her ankles and jumped around her as happy yips left its mouth, long brown tail wagging from side to side whenever it looked up at her and she looked down at it. She stopped in her tracks; the water washed over her feet, and she shivered slightly. "Hey, boy." Mikasa said tentatively, and the dog cocked its head to the side at the sound of her voice. "Are you alone?" It let out another bark, its pink tongue lolled out the side of its jaw over sharp teeth, and the corners of her lips curved upwards. Maybe she could keep it, if Armin and Eren agreed.

She continued onwards, and the dog never strayed too far as it ran about the sand or into the cold sea, mouth always open in what she could have imagined as a grin. Her pace slowed down as she neared the end of the beach, dark rocks in the distance marking where the sand ended and the hill covered in trees started. However it seemed that one of the rocks was too deformed, and after watching from afar for a few moments, Mikasa picked up her pace again and closed the distance between herself and her target, squinted eyes slowly widening as she got closer.

She froze in place, torn between wanting to run away or run forward.

There in the sand, right before her, lied a naked man on his stomach, one leg stretched and the other slightly bent, elbows touching his ribs and loosely clenched fists by his head.

The difference between him and any normal man, though, were the pair of mismatching wings on his back, both fully opened to the sides, one black, one white.

Mikasa sucked in a breath through her teeth, the dog stood right beside her, afraid of taking one more step towards the man. But she did, her feet moved on their own and soon she was turning the man around, keeping her dark eyes focused on his face so she would not look where she shouldn't. The wings folded by themselves, retreating to what she guessed was the most comfortable position. She took off her hoodie, laid it over his pelvis out of respect for his person and dignity, and dialed her friend's number to get help, gaze trained on his face and dark, dark hair.

He had sand all over his features, clinging to his eyelashes and brows, dusting his forehead and coating his chapped lips. Mikasa tried to be as gentle as possible whilst she brushed the grains away, hoping she wouldn't awaken him, and hardly touched him afterwards as his limbs were examined in search for bruises.

Thankfully her friends soon arrived. Questions were made and disbeliefs were voiced, the three were reluctant to leave him there, but also knew that taking him in could be dangerous. The blond spoke over the hesitancy, said they could at least treat his wounds and offer him some water and a meal, and he would most likely leave afterwards. "He seems older than us," Armin said, blue eyes focused on the stranger. "He must have a family. Somewhere."

Armin gave up his shorts to cover the man, and Eren took off his shirt in hopes it would hide majority of the wings, and also offered to carry him to their shared home. His friends helped place the man on his back; strong tan arms curved around pale legs, and Eren grunted when all the weight made his spine arch. "For someone so short, he sure is heavy."

"We can take turns," Mikasa offered, but the boy merely brushed her off and urged them to leave the area, the dog following after them.

It was Armin who tended to a couple of shallow cuts and deeper ones on the man's ribcage and arms, bandages thankfully weren't needed, and the brunet's most oversized clothes were lent to the injured stranger, along with one of Mikasa's blankets, to keep him warm. Eren was the one who allowed let this person sleep in his bed while he would sleep on a spare mattress in Armin's bedroom; he felt responsible for the person's well being, the blonde guessed as he lightly pushed his friends out of the room, and was trying to be a good host.

It was much, much later, though, when the two boys were in the kitchen and Mikasa had gone check on the man, tray in hands with a glass of water and two oranges, that they heard the distinctive sound of shattering and metal clanging on the floorboards. There was no scream to accompany it, and they were already on their way before she could even call out for them, although they doubted she would.

So they both squeezed their way through the open door, stepped over broken glass and a small puddle of water, and found the man on his feet, standing on top of the mattress, mismatching wings spread out behind him, and small light grey irises glaring daggers at the girl by the foot of the bed.

Mikasa, if anything, glared in return.


	8. Casual Affair: III: Confessions

Hey everyone! Sorry for not updating this in a while; my finals are approaching and I need to focus on school, so I didn't have much time last weekend to answer your reviews, but know that I'll try to reply to them from now on as soon as they get to me!

**This is an Office!AU update! **I've decided to rename this as **Casual Affair**, inspired by Panic! At The Disco's song.

So here is the thing: I've been feeling emotional lately for lady reasons and this is the only excuse I have for the final product I managed to create. Also, bell peppers are actually fruits; yes, shocking I know (I had to stop writing to recollect my thoughts) so remember that when you see that Levi put sliced _fruits_ in the frying pan. And there is no sexy time... Yet. I'm gonna update _Icarus_ or _The Baby_ next, I don't know which one yet or when, but I will.

**Casual Affair (Office!AU):** _Devil Of A Boss, Cancelled Plans, Confessions_

**The Baby:** _Silence, Assurances, Truth_

**Icarus:** _Found_

Thank you for reading, and enjoy! xx

* * *

**VIII: Office!AU: Confessions**

* * *

Chimes sound from somewhere inside the flat and Mikasa steps away from the door, hand falling from the doorbell to hold the box from the bakery with both hands. Thanks to his lovely invitation, she had no other option than ditch Eren's birthday party to spend the night working with her boss; her brother, although disappointed, had understood her reasons and made her promise she would arrive in time to eat at least one slice of cake (a slice she knew he would save for her regardless of the time she arrives, and keep it well away from Sasha's hungry eyes).

Another thing that she couldn't run away from was to (finally) do her laundry. Her apartment is much cleaner and tidier now that all her skirts and dress shirts are either hanging to air dry or folded and returned to where they belong. So the young woman now stands right before Levi's front door, dressed in one of the pencil skirts that she missed dearly, with a lemon tart (the only dessert he really enjoys, she keeps on repeating to herself) in the rectangular white box.

The lock clicks as it is turned, and the door is pulled back to reveal the shorter figure of her boss, one simple black apron over his white linen shirt and grey slacks. He beckons her inside with a jerk of his head, she doesn't miss when his eyes fall on the box in her hands, and there is a hardly visible smile on her lips when she walks past him and he closes the door. Mikasa follows him to the kitchen, where ingredients are neatly placed about on the counter and a half sliced onion sits on his dark cutting board made of tempered glass. Levi doesn't waste a second to return to his task, and as he cuts the bulb his guest opens the fridge and deposits the dessert inside, knowing well by now that she doesn't need to ask for permission.

"I didn't think you'd come," he says in a casual tone, blinking his eyes rapidly at the stinging sensation.

Mikasa pulls back one of the stools by the counter and crosses her ankles once she's seated. "I didn't have another choice."

He rubs his right eye with the back of his hand. "You could have ditched me instead."

She scoffs, elbows perched on the cold granite and chin resting on her entwined fingers; had he not voiced his words flatly, they would have actually made her feel bad. "And risk getting fired?" Her tongue clicks against her teeth just in time with his; her smirk isn't seen, neither is his frown. "Not a chance, sir."

"You know I don't," he gathers the onion rings at the center of the board with his knife, the blade lightly scrapping the glass, "mix personal matters with job issues." Air rushes out her lungs through her nose, silently and slowly, and Mikasa tilts her head down to rub her fingertips on her forehead. It's going to be a very long night and not the first one in which he uses the excuse of "too much paperwork" to be with her alone and try to bring up the topic of their messed up relationship. "Eren is your priority, isn't he?"

Levi tosses the onions in a large frying pan and drizzles olive oil all over them, body stiff as he puts the heavy bottle away and sets the fire to medium-low. "We've already discussed this," she says, voice strained and dry to hide her mental weariness.

"Have we?" He knows he won't get an answer and doesn't want one, but he asks anyway because the subject has been suffocating him for a long time.

"Yes," she can't be sure anymore if they're talking about Eren being her priority, or if the words refer to their casual, secret affair; it always starts like this and never gets anywhere. "Yes, we have." The man standing with his back to her hums almost absentmindedly, but she knows every nerve and cell of his body is on alert and restless.

His tongue runs over his bottom lip and he doesn't say anything, only places each shrimp one at a time on the pan and covers it with a lid. Mikasa watches as he reaches for a green bell pepper and starts cutting it, and she tucks a strand of inky black hair behind her ear before rising from the stool. "Let me help you."

"You don't need to," but she is already on her way to the sink, and Levi can only sigh at her stubbornness. Water glides over her skin as she rubs dish soap on her palms and the back of her hands, foam swirls down the drain and she doesn't notice when the knife cuts through the fruit with more strength than before.

Mikasa knows where to find another cutting board and sharp knife, and situates herself beside his form, closer to the washed and cleaned bell peppers than him, and picks a yellow one to start with. It feels like a routine, one that she is comfortable with, to stand beside him and prepare the same meal again, the one he always picks when she comes over to work, because she, accidentally, once said that she had loved it. He is as preoccupied in cooking shrimps with bell peppers as she is in buying the same lemon tart from the same bakery; they often worry about pleasing the other in more ways than one.

Levi, on his part, tries not to think of how familiar she is with his apartment. He gave her his permission to make herself feel at home once they were actually comfortable in each other's presence, and that permission turned into a full green pass to do whatever she pleased after the first time he took her, there behind the closed door of his office some weeks ago. She knew where to find pens, keys, bills, even knew in which drawer he kept his underwear. Mikasa was the one who sorted out his ties by color, then after that she had picked a red one and slung it over his neck, and moved her mouth hungrily against his as she guided him back to his bed.

He doesn't understand it. Sometimes he wants to, but thinks better of it and decides to let it pass, once, twice, thrice, enough times until all these thoughts fill his mind to the brim and threaten to spill from his ears. She dives in head first, gives herself to him and takes some of him in return, she voices her pleasure, touches him just the way he likes, and after they're done she retreats back into her shell, and doesn't even tease him back when he tries to. They come and go, get together only to break apart, and Levi never thought he would need her to make up her mind before he went crazy.

The knife cuts through empty air and he realizes with a start that he has already cut all the bell peppers, and hastily moves them over to a plate where Mikasa can put her own slices, and only then does he add the fruits to the cooking shrimp and onion rings. His guest is by the sink again washing the dirty utensils, and Levi's hands are flat on the dark granite of his counter and he takes in deep, even breaths to soothe his senses. It doesn't work.

Finally, he decides to speak. "What are you so afraid of?"

Mikasa could have done a better job in hiding how his words affected her, but fate wasn't on her favor and the knife slips from her fingers at the sound of his voice, hitting the bottom of the stainless iron sink with a sharp clang. Blindly, she reaches for the tap; water starts running and fills in the silence as she rinsed her hands, and soon it is silent again as she wipes them dry on the white dish towel. Levi repeats his words, and she detects the plea behind his guarded tone. "What are you so afraid of, Mikasa?"

She keeps her back to him, and he keeps his to hers, and the young woman forces air into her burning lungs. "I don't know," she confesses in a whisper, fingers curling tightly around the cloth in her hands. Mikasa hears when he breathes out, and his clothes shuffle when he shifts his weight.

"I think I can understand," he licks his lips, "why you are so hesitant." His adjutant remains silent and he pictures the way her chest rises and falls as she breathes, torso bare and naked back against his bed sheets. God damnit, _god damnit._

This time she's the one who shifts, and Levi takes it as a sign to keep going. "I'm getting old, Mikasa. I'll be thirty eight by the end of the year; I am almost old enough to be your father."

He hears when her lips part and braces himself. "You think," she searches for the right words, and finds none, searches for air, but it seems to be scarce around her, so Mikasa nearly wheezes out the rest of her sentence; "You think your age is the problem?"

"Let's be honest now." Levi pushes away from the counter, and she moves away from the sink. They are in synchrony as they gravitate around and towards each other, moving accordingly and simultaneously. "I spent most of my life focusing on working and getting a better life. I can't expect to keep someone like you around at this point."

"Levi," no other words follow his name, and she averts her eyes almost shamefully for not finding the correct things to say. What is she so afraid of, she asks herself, and the answer is nowhere in sight, but still she hesitates and pushes him away, and at the same time brings him closer. Mikasa can feel his stare focused on her face, air rushes out her lungs until the muscles of her ribcage ache, and he's the one who speaks up again.

Her boss doesn't seem or sound much different than his usual self, but she knows he feels vulnerable opening up like this. She knows, because they are almost perfect reflections of each other, and because that's the way she feels at the moment. "There are much better and younger options out there, boys willing to give you the attention you deserve."

"I never," Mikasa lifts her eyes to his and holds his gaze, "thought you could be so insecure about yourself."

"I'm not insecure." He bites out, feeling almost insulted at her accusation. "I'm simply aware that I won't be able to entertain you for much longer."

Her pink mouth falls open; she seems incredulous. "You think you are only an entertainment?"

"Well, it certainly–"

"Levi!" She cuts him, voice high, and his lips seal shut. He finally sees her expression, takes time to examine it, and guilt starts pooling at the bottom of his stomach. Her teeth are painfully gritted together, her brows are drawn down over unusually bright pools of dark grey; Mikasa is deeply hurt by his words, and she for once is not hiding it.

He takes in a deep breath, one shaking hand running through his hair. _Shit_. "Mikasa, look, I'm–"

"Levi," her voice is just above a whisper and it is enough to make him go quiet again. He waits for her words and fists his hands by his sides, heart pounding in his chest, quick and hard enough to almost make him wince. "I don't want a boy," she says after a long pause and sucks in a shaky breath through parted lips; "I want a man."

The confession throws him completely off balance, and he feels abnormally heavy and dizzy as his mind processes her words, over and over, and when she speaks again he swears his heart ceases beating.

"I want you."

There's a ringing in his ears. It's loud, deafening, the world is still spinning around him, but she's standing right there, unmoving and waiting, hands tingling to be taken by his; she doesn't flinch when his unfocused gaze sweeps all over her form, and smiles encouragingly, one beautiful and blinding wide grin, when his eyes finally find hers and he seems to register that she is truly there.

So he moves forward, knots his fingers in her dark hair and brings her head down to his level, mouth slanting over hers hurriedly and hungrily, tongue caressing over her lips and slipping past them. It's clumsy, their teeth clink together more than once, and they smell of onion and bell peppers, but she is smiling when he pulls away to place a kiss on her forehead, and his lips brush against the skin of her cheek when he speaks. "We're doing it right this time." She nods, feeling incredibly emotional about the situation, yet she refuses to give it much thought and simply touches the back of his hands with her fingertips before letting her hands fall away.

"Come," he says again as his fingers trail down her arms towards her hands, and he holds them firmly. "Let's eat our dinner then we can go to Eren's birthday party." Levi seems to be done, but he adds as an afterthought. "But only if you go out on a real date tomorrow with me."

Mikasa agrees to his requirements with a chaste kiss on his lips.


End file.
